The Wolf Side: Out of the Forest and into the Fire 9
by rokchichomesickg
Summary: Wolf, Virginia, Tony, and the golden Prince find their way out of the Disenchanted Forest and into Little Lamb Village. Wolf begins the cycle of the moon.


Wolf figured it was safe for them to find the road again, now that the Huntsman was injured. He'd be slow, and have trouble keeping up with them. Virginia and Tony walked ahead, their backs to Wolf. He trudged behind them with his hands in his pockets.

"I don't believe it," said Tony, halting in his tracks.

"That's Acorn's wagon," said Virginia. Wolf felt the bottom fall out of his stomach. They'd found the mirror. "That's it. That's him!" She and Tony ran forward, leaving Wolf standing alone on the path. He felt as if his feet were stone.

"Bring Prince," yelled Tony over his shoulder as he ran. Wolf's chest was tight and there was a lump forming in his throat, but he did as he was told and pulled along the golden dog. He tried not to let them see that it bothered him. Was he so bad that they wanted to get away from him as fast as possible? He'd thought he was making some progress. He sighed. They had caught up to Acorn and were bent over as if they were catching their breath.

"Hi, Acorn," greeted Tony. "Remember me?"

"Antony! You got out of prison. How, uh. . . unlikely," replied Acorn. Tony laughed.

"Where's our mirror," he asked.

"Mirror?" Acorn raised his eyebrows and took a foul-smelling pipe from his mouth.

"It belongs to us," said Virginia. Acorn smiled a half-smile; his scarred eye prevented his smile from reaching that side of his face.

"Is it valuable, then?" Virginia straightened her back.

"No, it's worthless," she said a little too quickly. She'd never been a very good liar.

"You've come an awful long way to get back a worthless mirror," replied Acorn, dumping out the contents of the pipe and dousing his little fire.

"It's a magic mirror," confessed Virginia as Acorn climbed up onto the cart he traded the boat for. "We traveled here through it and we've been trapped in this world ever since. Look, all we want to do is go home. We won't take the mirror, okay? We'll just use it to home and then you can do whatever you want with it." Tony nodded in agreement.

"I'm moved by what you say," said Acorn.

"Then _please_," she begged. "Let us go home."

"But I don't have it anymore," Acorn admitted. Father and daughter's mouths hung open at this news. They had expected that the dwarf would hang onto the mirror. "I'm afraid I swapped it with someone in the village about half an hour ago."

"_Swapped_ it?!" yelled Tony angrily. "Swapped it for _what_?"

Acorn turned around in his seat and threw back a blanket of some kind, revealing something that Wolf couldn't see. . . but he could hear it. A little lamb's bleat rung in his ears. He licked his chops, and started dragging the dog.

"Wolf," said a silky voice. He looked around for the source. "Wolf." He gasped when he saw the Queen's face in a puddle. He walked toward it, hoping he was just hearing things.

"Wolf, do you think you can simply ignore me," she said in her honeyed voice. Wolf scratched his temple.

"I've changed," he whispered to her. "I am no longer under your influence. You cannot touch me!" She smiled. Wolf hadn't expected that. Something was under his skin, clawing to be free.

"Oh, _really_? It's a full moon tonight," she said. _Oh, no. Is it already that time?_ He brought his hand up to his cheek, checking his teeth for points, and let it fall dismally. He wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. That's why he'd been feeling so antsy lately.

"What will you do when the wild moon calls you? What will you do then to your new friends?"

She was making him angry. He bent down and splashed the puddle, getting rid of her image, but he knew it was too late. Whatever happens, he must not put Virginia and Tony in danger. He would run into the forest and come back when it was all over. . . yeah, that's what he would do. However, it seems Virginia and Tony had other ideas. They had reached the edge of the forest and they were determined to follow the mirror into this village where Acorn had left the mirror.

"I don't think we should go into this village," he said. It didn't even slow them down.

"It's where Acorn said the mirror was," said Virginia. He moved around to face her, walking backwards.

"A wolf goes by his instincts, and I don't like it. I mean, this is farming land, and farmers don't like wolfies." Virginia raised her eyebrows. He growled, moving over to a wooden fence, banging the heel of his palm on one of the posts.

"Huff-puff. No, sirree." He ran to face her, once more walking backwards.

"Why don't we stop for breakfast and figure out what to do," he suggested.

"You've already had breakfast," she argued.

"Well, then, I want _another_ breakfast," he snapped. She stopped, blinking. "What are you my mother? You tell me when I can eat or not? Why don't you just draw me up a list of things I can and can't do!" Tony frowned and shook his head.

"We're going into the village, end of discussion," said Virginia calmly. "You can do what you like." She walked away from him. _Choices. Go into the village, or leave Virginia?_ Of course, he knew which one he would do. He scratched his temple angrily, growling and sending his hair flying out of place. Sometimes she could be so stubborn! He thought about what the Queen said about the moon and whined. He picked some wild flowers and bounded ahead, waiting in a small barn next to the path until Virginia came into view. He poked the bouquet out the door. She laughed softly as he jumped out lightly, taking the flowers he offered.

"Virginia, please forgive me," he apologized. "I didn't mean to be so rude. It's just that my. . . cycle is coming on. See, once a month I get very irrational and angry and I just want to pick a fight with anyone who comes near me." Virginia had a faraway look.

"That sounds familiar," she told him.

"But I'll be perfectly, perfectly alright, if you just keep me _away_ from temptation."

"You know. . . I get like that sometimes, too," Virginia said, but he wasn't paying attention. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of some sheep in a field. He immediately began salivating.

"Oh-ho-ho," he groaned with a smile. "Look at those sheep. Trollops. That shouldn't be allowed." He was vaguely aware of his feet carrying him toward the sheep. He stopped when he noticed three blooming shepherdesses skipping toward him, holding their crooks so as not to hit the ground. He looked them up and down, imagining how good they would taste. Wolf put on a rakish smile.

"Morning," he said.

"Mornin'," said the one in the middle, a blonde, with a cockney accent. "My name's Sally Peep. I'm a shepherdess." The other two were giggling in the background. Wolf could sense that she was flirting with him.

"There's no question about that," he replied.

"My. . . what hairy, strong arms you've got," she stated, looking him up and down. A crowd of girls had gathered behind her now, giggling and climbing onto a small cart.

"If my door wasn't locked, I'd be scared you could come into my house, and huff. . . and puff. . . and blow all my clothes off!" She giggled and shook her hair. Wolf snarled at her and she gave a squeal of delight. Virginia approached Wolf's right arm, holding the bouquet of flowers he had given her. He was still staring at the shepherdess.

"Where do you live, Sally," he asked in his own honeyed voice, but Virginia interruped.

"Okay, let's go," she told him, pulling him onward. He kept moving, a little dazed. What just happened? That's not who he was anymore! He was trying to change!

They entered what looked to be a town square. People bustled about, visiting the rows of shops that lined the streets. Wolf could smell something delicious coming from the butcher's. A man's voice rose over the crown. They stopped to listen.

"Welcome, one and all, to the second day of the Little Lamb Village annual competition! These beautiful radishes, I give them nine out of ten!" Everyone clapped. "But the Peeps' radishes! Bless me, they've done it again! They're out of this world! I've got to give them ten out of ten! Gordon Peep the Grocer, come up and get your ninth award today," said the man cheerily. He was silver-haired and sported a well-groomed goatee and a suit. Scattered applause.

"Confound it," said a man with red hair. "The Peeps have done it again. They're just best at everything," he sighed.

"In an hour's time, I'll announce the winner of the best cheese in the village," said the man on stage. More scattered applause as the crowd dispersed. Tony and Virginia kept walking, and Wolf felt disoriented for a moment, but then caught sight of them talking to a man sitting on a well in the middle of the square.

"Excuse me," said Tony. "Can you tell me who's in charge around here."

"I am the village idiot, and I am in charge of the wishing well," said the man stupidly. He had a bad over-bite that covered his lower lip, making his appearance fit his self-appointed title.

"Do we have magnets in our pockets," Tony asked Virginia. "How do we attract people like this?" Wolf rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants.

"That's a nice dog you've got there," stated the village idiot. "He reminds me of someone." Tony looked down at Prince and didn't answer. He was distracted by whooping and applause. Behind them, a lovely white cloak trimmed in soft white rabbit fur was being paraded through the square.

"What's that for," asked Tony.

"That's the village's present for Prince Wendell." They all glanced at the dog. "It's to be his coronation cloak."

"I hope he likes it," said Tony earnestly.

"Aren't you going to make a wish, then?" He got up from his seat on the edge of the well. "It's very bad luck to pass without making a wish!" Virginia had gotten out her coin purse.

"That's money we should be wasting, then," she said, handing coins to Wolf and Tony.

"You are so prim," Wolf told her. "But my wish will change all of that." He closed his eyes. _I wish that Virginia could loosen up once in a while and find her animal side so she can better understand and trust me_. With that, he let the coin fall from his hand. There was no splash of water. Instead there was the sound of a coin hitting a stone bottom. He and the others leaned over the edge, searching in the darkness.

"It don't work," the idiot stated simply. Wolf groaned, upset that they had wasted three of their precious coins. "It _used_ to be a real magic wishing well. And folks, they traveled from all over the kingdoms to have things blessed in it. It's all dried up now. It hasn't flowed for years. I have made it my life's work – "

"As fascinating as your story is," Tony interrupted, "we're actually looking for is a mirror. About so big," he put his hand out to indicate size, "black. We were told that someone bought it off of Acorn the dwarf." The idiot nodded stupidly.

"I have made it my life's work to wait by this well until it feels up again. What do you think of that, eh?" He gave a proud smile. Virginia and Wolf exchanged glances.

"It's no use. The man is a complete idiot," Tony said.

"If only," said the idiot, brightening. "Now, my father. . . _he_ was a complete idiot. I'm still a half-wit." They all frowned and turned away at the same time. If it weren't for the imminent full moon, Wolf would have laughed at his stupidity.

They walked around for a while, participating in the village activities. No one stopped to ask what Tony was doing with a gold dog. When night fell, they asked around for a place to stay. A woman overheard their pleas and offered her barn as shelter.

"Everywhere is full, what with the annual village competition," she said as she led them to the barn. "But you can stay here if you like." She opened the door and allowed them to file inside. "It might not be posh, like what you're used to."

"It stinks," muttered Tony. Virginia stepped forward, not wanting to offend the woman for her kindness. _Who cares where we stay_, he thought. He was beginning to feel a bit queasy.

"It's great, thank you. By the way, do you know of anyone who's bought a mirror from a traveling trader recently," she asked. The woman squinted her eyes, trying to remember.

"You'll want to talk to the local judge. He bought a load of things off that dwarf. Prizes for the competition," she told Virginia. "You'll find him in the inn, over the road. They do lovely food there, too. Well, that's the understatement of the year." She chuckled and handed Tony a lamp, taking her leave.

Wolf thought he heard Virginia say "Thanks," but he was more concerned with the sharp pain in his abdomen. He groaned loudly, clutching his stomach with one hand and putting his hand out to brace himself with the other. Virginia put her hand on Wolf's shoulder for support.

"Oh. . . _dog_. . . cramps," he managed to say, panting. He tried to keep the muscles in his face from contorting into a grimace. Females generally did not like weakness. . . but Virginia was not most females.

"I need to go to bed. I need to lie down immediately," he grunted and fell backwards, landing on a soft stack of hay. Virginia crouched beside him and stroked his hair, but for some reason that made his scalp feel like it was crawling. He shook his hair, getting rid of the prickly feeling. Wolf had to hang on to his humanity. He needed something smaller than himself, to remind him that he was dangerous, to keep him _here_. He reached out and grabbed the front of Virginia's jacket.

"I need a – I want a – a hot rabbit. . . to stroke, to comfort me. A _long_ eared rabbit is best," he panted. He tried to relax, but she wasn't moving. "_Now_!" he demanded, then sensing he frightened her, he corrected himself. "Now," he said quietly. "Right now." She nodded and went to go find a rabbit. He could see the full moon from the window in the barn. Did he have to pick _here_, of all places in the barn, to collapse? He wanted to both run from it and howl at it; he was torn. That's what it felt like, every month. . . being torn from the inside out as the wolf struggled to surface. Sometimes he let it out willingly if he was in the woods, far from children, but now he struggled to suffocate it. The Queen wanted to use the wolf for her purpose. He mustn't let her hurt Virginia. He wasn't sure if the Queen would mind hurting her own daughter physically, but how could she know Virginia? The Queen left her as a child. Another spasm of pain. . . a loud groan. . . writhing on the hay.

"Here she is," announced Tony when Virginia came through the door. As promised, she held a large rabbit.

"Here you go," she said, depositing the rabbit into Wolf's arms. He sighed with relief and began to stroke the rabbit's soft fur. Virginia crouched beside him with a wet rag, dabbing at the sweat that was beginning to accumulate on his face.

"You know, you're running a terrible temperature," she said softly.

"Oh, they look _so_ innocent, _don't_ they," growled Wolf, not paying attention. "But they're _not!_ Provocative, teasing little fluffballs! Just look at her beady little eyes. She knows _exactly_ what she's doing. _Don't_ you," he demanded of the rabbit as if he expected an answer.

"You just feel really hot," said Virginia. Her voice grated on his nerves.

"Stop fussing over me," he yelled at her. "You're not my mother!" She moved her mouth as if to say something, but Wolf cut her words short. "Stop mothering, and smothering, and cupboard-loving everybody like a little Dwarf housewife!" Her mouth hung open in surprise. "Go out, leave me alone," he demanded. Tony had rushed to Virginia's side.

"Hey, what are you talking to my daughter like that for," asked Tony. "I'm not going to take that kind of –" Tony's head whipped back at the sound of voices.

"Wolf! Wolf," came screams from outside. They looked at him, but he was drooling over the rabbit, staring intensely into her eyes. He wanted to eat her and cuddle her at the same time. Of course, he could only do one or the other, but he wouldn't tear this little rabbit to pieces in front of Virginia. . . hopefully. He was having difficulty hanging on to himself.

"Let's go see what that is," Tony said to Virginia. The screams of "Wolf!" continued outside.

"You stay with me," Wolf growled to the rabbit.


End file.
